The short biography of Dogen ,The Great Zen Master

The founder, the Zen Master Dogen of Japan Soto Zen sect were born in Kyoto in 1200.
His father is minister Michichika Koga and his mother is estimated with the daughter of regent Motohusa Fujiwara.
He was expected to take an active part with the politics of the country in the future from the whole family and grew up.
However, his father died when he is 3 years old.
And his mother died when he is 8 years old.

Therefore, he felt the transience of this world strongly.
And, in 13 year-old spring he discarded all the social positions.
He determined that becomes a priest.
And he obtained the qualification of a priest in Mount Hiei which was the center of Japanese buddhism at that time.

He did training hard and, understood instantly the rule of Buddhist theory etc. in that time.
However, it did not go so smoothly.
He worried to a fundamental problem of theoretically of the the rule of Buddhist in that time.

He entered a private school to the Zen-master Eisai who is the chief priest
of the Rinzai-sect temple Kenninji at Kyoto in 1214, to solve the problem.
He was not able to solve the question readily.

In 1223 years, he gave it to China that is the home of Buddhist,
to solve the question, with the Zen priest Myozen who is the apprentice of Eisai.

The trip was very dangerous.
However, the trip went well by virtue of his zeal.

And he wandered the exercise hall of every place of China.
At the temple Keitokuji of the mountain Tendo, he met the great Zen-master Nyojyo
who it should call with the real master for him.
He studied it until understanding goes with himself by his real teacher.
He had an argument it with the great Zen-master Nyojyo repeatedly.

He sat in Zazen every day.
It was just like the fish that obtained water that he found the exercise hall with a real teacher.

And he solves question finally and obtained enlightenment.

He received proof from his master.
And he became the transmission person.
It is the successors of the 51st reigns from Syaka who is the founder of Buddhism.

He returned Mother country in 1227.

He wrote Hukanzazengi ,explained the method of Zazen that is possible anyone.
When he was the beginning after homecoming, he got active in Kyoto.

But when he returns home his master said to dogen.
“Live in the mountain back that parted from political power.
And bring up the real heir of a little number of persons.”

He complied with his master`s word.

There was the man who was believing the teaching of dogen deeply at that time.
He is the warrior called Yosisige Hatano.
He was governing the quiet territory of the mountain back appropriate to the temple.
He contributed the land for dogen.

And the Zen Master Dogen built the temple Daibutuji to the mountain back of Fukui Pref.
In 1246 years, dogen changes the name of the temple Daibutuji to Tthe Eiheiji.

Many priest-trainees gathered from every place of Japan.

It is because the Zen Master Dogen became a chief priest of Eiheiji.
He did the guidance of the priest-trainee carefully.
He always preached carefully and personally.

He always did zen meditation in the same hall with the priest-trainee.
(The great priest in that time did not do the things like that.
As he, the great priests other than that time were different entirely. )

His reputation rose.
He was the priest who had real capability.

To praise his achievement ,The Emperor Gosaga planned that he presents The purple-colored robe of priest to dogen.
But Dogen refused it several times.
However,because the power of the emperor in that time was big the emperor did not permit that r Dogen declines.
Dogen received The robe of priest from the emperor unwillingly.
However, he never wore it.
Dogen wore only a Plain color of surplice in the whole his life.

Dogen is because he hoped that parts from the reputation of the society and political power ,
to defend real the rule of Buddhism.

(The priests of Japan at that time were hearing the opinion of the emperor and nobles,
to receive donation . For that they were soiling real the rule of Buddhist. )

The Zen Master Dogen educated the priest-trainees at the Eiheiji even after that.

However, he became sick in 1252.

In next year he handed over the chief priest of the Eiheiji to the Ejo,his apprentice.
And he moved to Kyoto to cure sickness.
The treatment of doctors fails and he died in Kyoto in, 1253 years.
His apprentices carried his remains to the Eiheiji.
The remains have been put to the main altar of The Joyoden,Founder`s Hall of the Eiheiji even now.